Brightlingsea WinterFest’s month-long run of events is to reach a relaxing and fun-filled finale with a yoga session, a comedy evening, a pop quiz and an afternoon of music and spoken word.
The festival has already attracted thousands of views for its online attractions this year and will end on a high, having raised spirits during a difficult time.
A Full Moon yoga session on Friday, February 26 at 8pm with instructor Hannah Wetz will help people unwind for the weekend.
Wivenhoe Funny Farm will be making a welcome return to WinterFest on Saturday, February 27, at 6pm.
Mike Mathieson,who organises the festival’s spoken word events said: “We are delighted that Wivenhoe Funny Farm is back for WinterFest, in the face of all adversity. Top of the bill will be Peter Buckley-Hill, founder of the ‘Free Fringe’ at the Edinburgh Festival, for which he won the Panel Prize in the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2009. Other performers include Ben Harrington and Dean Burnett.”
The comedy event on Saturday will be followed by the Big Brightlingsea Pop Quiz, at 8pm, hosted by Brightlingsea Music Festival supremo and well-known local councillor Mick Barry. On Sunday, February 28, Brightlingsea-based musician and WinterFest tech wizard Jevon Ellis and friends will be offering an afternoon of music and spoken word, streaming live on Facebook and YouTube, to round off this year’s online WinterFest.
Those taking part will include Essex Storytellers, the Colchester-based Ellipsis Creative Writing Group, The Gin Twins who are also from Colchester, singer songwriter Jane Tomsett and WinterFest crew members David and Melanie Bridle, with some specially written songs, plus a recording of Brightlingsea-based shanty group,The Motley Crew.
Although this weekend sees the last of WinterFest’s online events for February 2021, there is an ongoing opportunity for people to contribute art for the festival’s virtual gallery and to submit recipes, pictures and anecdotes for a book called Food for Thought being collated by WinterFest.
Money raised through WinterFest will go towards the WinterFest Wellbeing Fund which helps people in Brightlingsea and the mental health charity, Mid and North East Essex Mind.
